The EIU view

In the mid-term elections, which will be held in May 2019, seats in the entire lower house of parliament and a majority of the upper house will be contested. The outcome of the polls will determine the extent to which the president, Rodrigo Duterte, will be able to advance his political agenda over the remainder of his term, which ends in 2022. The economy will remain steady, growing at 5.7% in 2019-23.

No country for journalists
The government's use of "lawfare" crackdown on critical voices will do lasting damage to freedom of speech. The weakening of press freedom threatens to roll back democratisation.

Thousands march for peaceful polls in May
Historically the Philippines has struggled to hold elections without extensive campaign violence. Early indications suggest that the 2019 mid-terms will prove no different.